Land packer



`lllil 11, 1950 G. BERGQUIST 2,503,317

LAND PACKER Filed April 50, 1947 Patented pr. 11,` 195,0

LAND PACKER Lars G. Bergquist, Shaunavon, Saskatchewan,

Canad Application April 3o, 1947, serial 10,744,917

(ci. 55 e 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in land packers of the character employed for the prevention of soil drifting after seeding or for the preparation of the soil for seeding with the mechanical drill type of seeder, an object of the invention being to provide a device of the character herewithin described, consisting of a large cylindrical helical or spiral coil secured to a shaft journalled in a framework for attachment to a tractor or other suitable motive power which due to extreme simplicity of construction can be manufactured very economically,

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which will function more efficiently than conventional implements for the same purpose by providing means whereby the land instead of being matted by the packer is striated into close, parallel grooves of relatively packed soil alternating with ridges of unpacked soil, whereby rain and snow runoff is averted, and moisture more eifectively stored.

A further object of my invention is to provide an implement of the character herewithin described which, by the formation of a set of oblique parallel striations at each stroke, all proceeding in the same direction but terminating at the edges of the stroke, materially reduces the incidence of wind erosion.

A further object is to provide an implement of the character herewithin described whereby a packing configuration of the land as set forth in the last preceding paragraph may be obtained with a packing element which is adjustable with respect to the proximity of the adjacent packing coils.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described by means of which the packing element is enabled to yield when passing over obstructions as to that portion which actually rides over the obstruction in contrast to conventional packing elements which are bodily hoisted on one side or the other or else uniformly when a surface obstacle is encountered.

With the foregoing objects in View, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangelll ment and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference bef.-` ing had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l isa plan view of my land packer.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side representation' ofmy land packer. 1

Figure Sis a reduced diagrammatic represen# tation of three adjacent strokes of my imple-v ment over a land surface.

Figure 4 is a detail in elevation illustrating a centre support employed in association with my packer.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different iigures.

Proceeding to describe my invention in detail and referring to Figure 1 the same in its preferrea embodiment consists of a cylindrical helical coil l, through the axis of which passes the shaft or axle 2. While the drawings illustrate the coil as being of circular cross section, the same may alternatively be of any preferred polygonal cross sectional coniiguration.

The ends of the coil are involute to enable them to be clamped by means of the assembly collectively designated as 3 and 3' Yinthe accompanying drawings to axle 2.

These assemblies consist of two U-bolts 4 and 4' which straddle the ends of the coil and extend through a plate positioned parallel to the involute portion of the coil and on the opposite side of the shaft as indicated in Figure 1 and Figure 2. When secured by the associated nuts the U-.bolts hold the coil firmly in contact with the shaft 2.

This method of attachment permits the ends of the coil to be secured at any desired point on the shaft to vary the proximity between each pair of adjacent coils 6 thus producing the packing eect desired.

The shaft 2 is journalled in bearings l, aiixed to the underside of the framework 8. The framework 8 is constructed of angle iron, thevintermediate Iportion 9 of which is convergently angulated While the anterior portions l0 are parallel and contiguous to form a draw-bar. A loop or ring Il is formed at the termination of the drawbar for attachment to the tractor or other suitable drawing vehicle.

From the foregoing it will be recognised that 3 my implement processes the land in the manner I have depicted in Figure 3 wherein the area I2 between the margins I3 and I4 designates I stroke of my implement in one direction, the area I5 between margins I4 and I6 representing an adjacent return stroke, and the area I1 between the margins I6 and I8 representing a third stroke in the direction of the rst one designated in Figure 3. By consideration of the soil configuration illustrated it will be seen that my implement processes the land in the form of a series of slow, parallel and oblique striations, the striations all proceeding the same direction for the strokes I2, I5 and I1. However the surface striations for each stroke necessarily terminate at the margins thereof and the set of striations for the next adjacent stroke will not be continuous therewith but offset. Hence the striations are discontinuous, and by this land configuration I have found that wind erosion is materially reduced.

In conclusion it will be noted by reference to Figure 4 that I preferably employ for use as a centre support for the coil I, a spider I9 in the form of a tri-radial member mounted on the axle 2, the spokes 20 whereof are secured as by welding to the adjacent turns of the aforesaid coil. Although I have illustrated only one of these spiders, it is to be understood that a plurality may be employed if desired, the purpose of this device being to obviate liability against undue yielding upwardly as the device travels over the ground, or undue sagging.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely diflerent embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claim without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

A land packing implement comprising in combination with a surrounding rectilinear framework, an axle journalled in said framework, a cylindrical and spiral packing element mounted upon said axle, and surrounding the same coaxially, means co-acting between the ends of said element whereby the proximity of the coils of said element may be varied, said means comprising a plurality of U-bolts, straddling the ends of said element and extending through plates positioned parallel to the involute portions of said element and on the opposite side of said axle to permit selective positioning of the ends of said element upon said axle for the purpose herein specified, the axis of said element being normal to the direction of travel of said implement.

LARS G. BERGQUIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '723,896 Moore Mar. 31, 1903 981,398 Durbin Jan. 10, 1911 

